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Topic Review (Newest First)

10-05-2005 12:26 PM

schnitz

After looking at your journal, and reading and re-reading your original post, here's my personal tips...

Space is always at a premium. And wasted space winds up as a labor waste. Layout certain areas to do certain types of work. If you blow dry anything using compressed air that you've just parts-washed, plumb a hard line to the area near the parts washer. You can make your own short air hoses. Coil hoses stink in my opinion. Keep all your lengths of scrap steel near the welder, if you have one. Keep your bench grinder nearby as well. Also, keep what you can off the floor as much as possible. Check my journal out, I am typing from experience here.

Lights and outlets are your best friends, have lots of both, and keep them in close range at all times. Extension cords really suck and are a trip hazard no matter what. Outlets should be spaced at no more than 6 foot intervals. If possible, wire double outlets on two separate circuits. As stated earlier, use lots of lights. My wife told me that I needed more lights in my garage. Track lights are fairly cheap and can be pointed where you need them.

If you do not have a breaker box in your garage, now is the time to install one. 100 amp should be enough to power anything you'll do there. Keep one circuit with two incandesant 40 watt bulbs wired into the house so you can see your way out if the garage loses full power (highly unlikely, but, it could happen).

To divide out the garage the way you're thinking, if I follow you, try a deal like hospitals use. That curtain could easily divide and protect (somewhat) anything on the other side of it. Anything is better than nothing.

That brings me to shelves. Swing up shelves are the best idea, because any flat surface holds crap that brings more crap. Make sure that some are totally adjustable. Take a look at grocery store shelves to see closer what I mean. If a nearby store is putting new shelves in, you may get the old ones really cheap. Keep stuff where it belongs and you will almost never want to leave your garage.

Look at bargains anytime, anyplace. My work is redoing a lot of older air fittings, and a buddy in maintenance is working on getting me a dozen or so regulators and the schedule 40 pipe (in 2 to 4 foot sections--couplers and pipe tape are cheap). I am also getting plywood scaps and scrap steel leftovers from there, as well. Get creative, and the real bargains will even find you. Just look everywhere with an open mind.

In a while, Chet.

10-03-2005 07:06 PM

86GMC

whatever you do, dont use those mercury-vapor bulbs....there's 6 in the shop where I work, and while the light is good, they have a tendency to blind you if you happen to look up at them, say, if you're on your back under something and catch a glimpse of the light.

10-02-2005 10:16 PM

523100

re: Pimp my garage-lights

Go to Home Depot and buy the fluorescent fixtures that take two type T-8 bulbs (the skinny 4-footers). The fixtures have electronic ballasts so the lights will come on right away in the cold. The tubes cost about double the F40's, but the fixtures are only about $8 each. Buy a couple ever so often and soon you'll be lit up like 'Vegas!

09-30-2005 07:08 PM

Freddy6667

Sorry for not getting back sooner,

Poncho062 - you arnt being cruel, It was a hectic week in the garage, that and there was more stuff in there cause I noticed some kids eyeballing my daughters new bike. The bikes, patio umbrella, shingle's are all out of there and put away now, I should have snapped the pics with the garage empty, but I have a %&& of time keeping it clean, one job after the other. I do alot of welding/fabrication projects, this is why I'm thinking of using one side just for that, I won't structurally change the garage, just not "reserve" one side for vehicles.
JPhil - I was going to go with a high gloss white paint, I thought it would add more light to the situation.
Beenaway2long - I try to keep the g/f out of the garage, but once I get some bench's going, there will be lots of organized storage (just have to use them)

Thanks for all the advice you guy's
Brian

09-30-2005 10:11 AM

Beenaway2long

As a garage-aholic, I have to side with Ponch. A dumpster is your first move.
Some of the stuff I am going to do is to consolidate:

1.) instead of building benches, make a mobile work station with drawers. Make a 30" wide standard lower cabinet w/ 4 or 5 drawers, and put it on lockable casters. Use double 3/4" plywood top, as a PORTABLE workbench/work station. Put "like" tools in it. Make one for bodywork, special aotomotive tools, etc. Make a provision where you can connect/lock them together to give you a larger surface. They need to be the same height ! You COULD use a premade base cabinet from a casework company, but I will build my own! That way it will endure my abuse. The sectional portable bench kind of inhibits you from piling crap on it. And you can roll it to the job.

2.) Use a 36" wide x18" deep x84" high double door cabinet , and put small stuff in "fish tins". The plastic boxes that commercial fish frys get the fish in. You can buy them for $.50 each. They hold a bunch, and they are stackable.
I have "carb parts", "electrical", "wiring" , "small engine parts", "odd fasteners", and a bunch of other stuff in mine. And the end of the box is labeled. I stack them on the shelves in the cabinet, and its all out of sight. Plus, its a cool place to put all those stickers from manufacturers on it. Open the doors , and get what you need without sorting.

3.) Bigger stuff, get the "rubbermaid tubs" for like $7.00 each at a department store. Get sturdy ones, and you can store sporting goods, hunting, fishing, gardening stuff, and carpentry tools, in them. Easy to stack. Write on them so you can go directly where you need to

SIDE BENEFIT: You can have your wife go DIRECTLY to the bin you need, to get whatever piece you need!! (Ya gotta stay one step ahead of em..)

09-29-2005 07:07 PM

poncho62

Freddy....my sugestions. You need as much space as possible.

1/ Dont want to sound cruel, but clean the place up. A dirty/junky garage is just a waste of space. Everything should have its place.

2/ If it is a double garage, keep it as such. You may nrrd that 2nd bay, since your project takes the other. Put the benches at the end so you have as much width as possible.

3/ I see you have a big compressor. If you can build a shed out back to put it in, you will save space. Better yet, if you can build a small addition for all your tools, that would save working space.

09-29-2005 05:43 PM

web01_99

Gator looks like a small nice apartment with tools and car parts!!!!! not a garage.

09-29-2005 05:43 PM

JPhil

A couple suggestions I would like to make: First, don't use high gloss paint. The reflected glare can be bothersome. Use a semi-gloss or satin, it will still be a durable surface and reflect light, but without the glare. Consider a slightly off-white shade as well, it is less fatigueing to the eyes.
Think about some kind of sheild you can put between your bench and the car. It can really make you vomit when you put down the grinder and turn around to see a hundred still smoking spark burns in your paint and interior.
Yeah, lots and lots of lights. I live in Colorado, it gets cold enough here that fluorescents don't work till the garage warms up, so I also put in a few incandescent light bulbs, with sheilds. I come in, flip on the bulbs, fire up the wood stove, and in a few minutes I can turn on the fluorescents. Plus the combination of the two at the same time, I have noticed, is also easier on the eyes than just fluorescents alone.
I have some other things I've come up with which I'll post on the "Whatjyamake" thread, but I don't have time right now........
John

09-29-2005 03:15 PM

1931 steve

Use good insulation. I have used the 3/4 plywood thing but the sheet rock looks better. Get plenty of lights, I have 3 twin 8 footers in the front of mine and still not enough. Lot of receptacles (on different breaker than overhead lights) I will build benches that will hinge off the wall and sit on legs that are removable, this makes a lot of bench space and when your done with the bench it pivots up out of the way (also keeps it clean, no clutter sitting on it if its up).

Steve

09-29-2005 02:08 PM

BooWFO

Quote:

Originally Posted by gator412

Mine is 24'X22' sheet rocked and painted. I put in outlets 4' above the floor and spaced every 6' along the two side walls (all GFI or conected to GFI). I also installed lights in the ceiling. I put down black and white vinyl tile on the floor to give it a cool look. I have an 8' rolling metal bench on one side. There are upper cabinets along the walls. (I got these for free from a friend redoing his kitchen.)

But my kids are teens now so I gave up my garage so they could hangout there with their friends. In a few years I will get my garage back.

(In pic three you can see the steering column I cut down for my truck.)

heck I'd live in there...

I miss my garage.

09-29-2005 01:55 PM

gator412

Mine is 24'X22' sheet rocked and painted. I put in outlets 4' above the floor and spaced every 6' along the two side walls (all GFI or conected to GFI). I also installed lights in the ceiling. I put down black and white vinyl tile on the floor to give it a cool look. I have an 8' rolling metal bench on one side. There are upper cabinets along the walls. (I got these for free from a friend redoing his kitchen.)

But my kids are teens now so I gave up my garage so they could hangout there with their friends. In a few years I will get my garage back.

(In pic three you can see the steering column I cut down for my truck.)

09-27-2005 09:18 AM

mj_lover

the thing i really love about my garage is that the inside is all 3/4 plywood. its really nice, as you can't put holes into it, and you can hang anything anywhere

09-26-2005 10:43 PM

Freddy6667

Pimp my Garage

So I am finally able to get around to redoing my garage. It is 22'X24', and currently two bay. I am seriously considering dropping it to one bay, with the other side being "work" space. I've already decided to put a bench down the one side full length, and at the front I will probably put a parts washer, sand blast cabinet and hopefully a powder coating oven. I am also adding a 36"X48" addition to the front where I will put the air compressor and propane tanks.
I have looked/drooled at all the shops posted here, and decided to appeal to the shop design master's to assist to me in redesigning my shop. Beside's what I've mentioned already, I am replacing all the sheet-rock and painting a high gloss white. So.. hit me with all your design ideas. Please